Passion is not in the “what” you’re doing, it’s in the “why”

Think about the last time something urgent came up in your life. It HAD to be done. There could be no ifs, ands, or buts. You made it happen, didn’t you? You pulled whatever strings you had, you made the calls, you did what you had to. And it happened. Now imagine that same task on your plate, but you have unlimited time to complete it. Chances are, you’d put it off. It wouldn’t be priority. Why is that?
When something is urgent, you focus on the “why.” Your mission is clear. It’s the power of purpose. When that same task isn’t urgent, you focus on what has to be done and forget about why it’s important.

The same theory can be applied to your health & fitness goals. If you focus on the what (“I need to lose 100 lbs.”), you forget about the purpose behind it. You procrastinate. You tell yourself “I’m too busy right now” or “I’ll start working out on Monday” or “My friend’s birthday is coming & I want to have some cake, so I’ll start dieting after that” or “I can’t afford to eat healthy food.” But none of that is really true is it? These are just your excuses because you’re focusing on the “what” and thinking “ugh I don’t want to get off the couch right now just to get sweaty.” But think about it this way: What if you found out you had to exercise for 1 hour every day this week or you’d die on Saturday? You’d make it happen, wouldn’t you?

So what’s your purpose? What’s your “why?”
It can’t just be that you want to lose weight. Go deeper.* Maybe you want to be able to play with your kids.
* Maybe you want to have kids.
* Maybe you’re a fashionista who wants more shopping options.
* Maybe you have depression and need the endorphins to start feeling better.
* Maybe you’ve been diagnosed with an illness that exercise can help alleviate – or even cure.

That last one is where my “why” exists. Several years ago, I asked my doc why I can work out for an hour & be normally out of breath, but when I go up one flight of stairs I’m gasping for air. He sent me for numerous tests and finally, a cardiologist told me that I have a weak heart for my age & it’s not able to pump as hard as it needs to for the cardiovascularly taxing move of stair-climbing. He said that as we age, our heart strength naturally declines…so by the time people my age reach the level I’m at now, my heart strength could be declined to that of an old lady’s. This hit home, and hard. My grandfather died of his eighth or ninth heart attack. Heart disease is in my family. The longer I remain overweight or inactive, I’m at serious risk. The good news? The heart is a muscle and muscles can be strengthened through exercise and losing weight. HELLO, WHY.

So think about WHY you want to eat better or WHY you want to lose weight. Find that purpose. Pledge yourself to it. Tape it to the fridge and the mirror. Think about it every time a donut is staring you in the face. Imagine what your life will be like when you’ve reached your goals. You’ve got this.